Duplicating mechanism



Sept. 27, 1938. A. MA RCH EV DUPLICATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1957 frllegzs Sept. 2 7, 1938.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Filed April 5, 1957 ,4'Sheets-Shet s Sept. 27, 1938. A. MARCHEV' DUPLICATING MECHANISM FilQd April 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 jlfred Afarckd' Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED JSTATES 2,131,112 1- "DUPIJCATINGYMECHANISM Alfred Marchev, La Grange, 111., assignoii to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a-corpora- L 'tion 'of West Virginia Application April 5, 1937, Serial No. 135,127

" 8 Claims. (01. 101-1325 of'a feed unit '19, t e detailsof which will be d "scribed more fullyhereina fter; "Suitable strip- Marchev, Serial No. 55,969,v filed December 24,

1935, for improvements in'Duplicating apparatus.

The present invention comprises mechanism of an improved character for preventing damage to the gelatin surface by the initial contact with the platen roller. The improved machine comprises means operable automatically-as the forward edge of the gelatin band approaches the platen roller to movethe platen roller out of. the way and then bring it down upon the. gelatin band, thereby avoiding damage'to the band by the impact of the roller therewith.

The features and advantages of the invention will appear more readily from, the following .description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of' the invention is shown.

In the drawings 1 3 Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a duplieating machine embodying the invention certain parts ofthe mechanism being broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view. on of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

the line 2-2 Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig.3 and.

showing a changed position of the parts;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 2. I

Referring now to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention .is illustrated, the numerals l0 and I! indicate side frames of the machine, in which a drum I2 is journalled for rotation. The drum l2 has a gelatin-band l3 thereon and is provided with a pair of spindles I4 and I5, upon which the opposite ends of the gelatin band 13 are wound. ,The drum i2 is mounted upon a shaft l6 and is adapted to be driven from a suitable source of power such as a motor (but not shown) through a reduction gear ll, as will be readily understood. A copy sheet feed table I8 is adapted to support sheets being fed to the drum12 by means bar '22 to remove sheet's fromthedrum and de The function and operationfofthe guide plates yieldingly presses the. bearing blocks. 33 downping rollers and 2 i cooperatefwith a stripping liver the removed sheetslto a receiving tray 23, in" '5 theusualmanner., r V I The feedunit l9 preferably comprises aframework suitably Supported in the sideffra'mes l0 and l I.' This frameworl isupports'amargin ban}, 24 and a feed chute comprising 'ajguide plate '25, '10 a second guide plate 26, and a lockout device 21.

25 and 26, and the lockout device 21, arefshown and described in detailin my priorfapplication, Serial No. 44,523,1 1eq October 11, 1935.

The feed unit i9 also1comprisesj a sponge rubber platen roller 28, which is.yie1dingly mounted in a pair of end plates 29 and 30 of the feed unit IS. The platen rollerf 28 is" mounted by means of. stub shafts 3| andfflisee Fig l), fixed 20 in the ends of theplatenroller. 28. Each stub shaft is yieldingly supported inits (and frame by a'bearing block"33,' whi ch rides inja slot .34 providedinjthe corresponding end frame. member "29 or 30. .A'spri'ng fifiisseated'in'arecess35; which opens onto the slot 34. The spring wardly against asetfscrew 3B, which is threaded into a plate 37. Theplate 31 is mounted on the end frame member'.Z9 .or'3il'. 1 "30 On the freeends of the stub shafts 3i and 32, a pair of lihks'39. and 40 are provided. These links, which are outside of the adjacent end frame members 29 and fiaareslotted to receive the shafts 3| and '32, so as. O permit alimited' amount of play. The links 39 and are connected to a pair of arms. and42, which arms 'are keyed .on a "pair" of pinsfM' andfi45, protatably' journalled inthe-end frames 29 and 30. Inside the frames 28 and 30, the pins, and 4 have apair of armsAB and 41 secured: thereto. In the prior applications hereinbefore men tioned,,there is provided a paper guide 48 which, in normal operating position, projects upwardly over the drum-inthe positionfshown in Figs. 2'45 3 and 4. .Thejcopy sheets, such as indicated at 49, after being fed from the table I8, lie up against this paper guidefuntilthey are] let down into contact with the gelatin band I3 o-nthe drum l2.. The guide i8.is pivoted. to theend plates 29; and 38 by suitable arms 5!! and a shaft 5|. Each arm 50 carriesa roller '52 which' is adapted to rest upon the adjacent end plate'29 or 39 when the paper guide is innormal operating position. When the paperguide is moved s5 forward about the shaft 5|, the arms at the side of the paper guide engage the free ends of the arms 46 and 41, so as to move the arms 46 and 41 in a counterclockwise direction.

The movement of the arms 46 and 4'! in a counterclockwise direction lifts the platen roller 28 out of its printing position. This enables the operator to prevent the platen roller 28 from coming in contact with the band I3 any time he desires to do so.

Means are also provided whereby the yielding mounting of the platen roller, by means of the blocks 33 and springs 35, may be utilized to automatically prevent damage to the gelatin band l3. On the side frames 29 and 30, there are mounted a pair of levers 53 and 54. They are supported on pins and 56, mountedon the side frames 29 and 30. Each lever 53 and 54 has an elongated slot 51 therein, which slot receives the corresponding st-ub shaft 3| or 32, so that, if the levers 53 and 54 are turned about the pins 55 and 56, they will move the stub shafts 3| and 32, and the platen roller 28, toward and away from the position of the platen roller shown in Fig. 3. In order to move the levers 53 and 54, the free ends of the levers are turned and flattened to form cam portions 58 and 59. The cam. portions curve outwardly at the free ends of the levers, with a smooth curve, as is shown best in Figs. 2 and 3 at 60. The drum |2 carries cam rollers 6| and 62 at its opposite ends, which cam rollers are adapted to engage the free ends 58 and 59 of the levers 53 and 54. The position of the rollers 6| and 62 with respect to the advancing edge of the gelatin band I3 is such that the platen roller 28 is lifted by the levers 53 and 54 just as the advanced edge of the gelatin is almost up to the platen roller. The rollers 6| and 62 then pass onto the curved portions of the levers 53 and 54, so as to let the platen roller descend gradually and radially onto the gelatin band, or, to be more exact, onto the copy sheet which has been fed between the gelatin band and the platen roller and adhered to the advancing edge of the gelatin band.

In this fashion, the impact of the gelatin band against the platen roller is no longer in the direction of rotation of the drum to any appreciable extent. It is possible, with the above mechanism, to quickly bring the platen roller down on the copy sheet at the advancing end of the gelatin band. This is accomplished with the present invention in such a fashion as to prevent damage to the gelatin band by the force of the impact due to the speed of rotation of the drum.

In my prior application, Serial No. 55,969, means were provided on the drum and the platen roller to take the impact before the roller contacted the gelatin band. The present invention differs from that by providing means for eliminating the impact.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is the intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patadapted to move the lever means just in advance of the platen roller meeting the band and thereby cause the platen roller to be lifted over the advancing edge of the band.

2. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating drum, means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the band on said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, said lever means comprising a lever at each end of said platen roller, and rollers on the drum for engaging said levers.

3. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating,

drum, means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the bandon said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means,

adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, said lever means including a manually operable lever and a drum operated lever.

4. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating drum means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the bandon said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, said lever means including a manually operable lever and a drum operated lever, a shaft carrying said platen roller, a link having one end connected to the shaft and the other end connected to said manually operable lever, and said drum operated lever being connected to said shaft.

5. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating drum, means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the band on said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, stub shafts at the ends of said platen roller and journalled in said mounting means, said lever means being connected to said stub shafts hereby to lift the stub shafts in their mounting means when the lever means is lifted, and lever for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, stub shafts at the ends of said platen roller and journalled in said mounting means, said lever means being connected to said stub shafts whereby to lift the stub shafts in their mounting means when the lever means is lifted, and lever engaging means on said drum adapted to move the lever means just in advance of the platen roller meeting the band and thereby cause the platen roller to be lifted over the advancing edge of the band, said lever means comprising a lever at each end of said platen roller, and rollers on the drum for engaging said levers.

'I. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating drum, means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the band on said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, stub shafts at the ends of said platen roller and journalled in said mounting means, said lever means being connected to said stub shafts whereby to lift the stub shafts in their mounting means when the lever means is lifted, and lever engaging means on said drum adapted to move the lever means just in advance of the platen roller meeting the band and thereby cause the platen roller to be lifted over the advancing edge of the band, said lever means comprising a lever at each end of said platen roller, and rollers on the drum for engaging said levers, said levers having roller engaging surfaces curving away from the drum at the free ends of the levers.

8. In a duplicating machine, a duplicating drum, means to rotate said drum, a duplicating band on said drum, means guiding sheets to said drum, a platen roller adapted to press the sheets against the band on said drum, mounting means for said platen roller including yielding means adapted to hold it in the path of the advancing band, lever means connected with said roller and operable to lift the roller out of the path of said band, and lever engaging means on said drum adapted to move'the lever means just in advance of the platen roller meeting the band and thereby cause the platen roller to be lifted over the advancing edge of the band, said lever engaging means comprising a roller carried by the drum.

ALFRED MARCHEVr 

